Acetylcholine in Carcinogenesis and Targeting Cholinergic Receptors in Oncology

Abstract

tumor vascularization and growth. [3] Further insight into the mechanisms of neurotransmission within the tumor microenvironment may offer promising opportunities for developing novel cancer therapies.Recent preclinical and clinical research has been steadily elucidating the role of cholinergic signaling in carcinogenesis, cancer growth, and cancer metastasis. This review provides an overview of the cholinergic system and synthesizes emerging evidence of the modulatory effects of neurotransmitters on carcinogenesis. The currently postulated roles of acetylcholine in carcinogenesis are elucidated, with insight into relevant clinical trials and suggestions for future studies of cancer neuromodulation.